Team In Tampa

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are serious enough about moving their team to St. Louis that they consulted an expert on that city's prospects for pro football -- Los Angeles Rams president John Shaw.Two members of the trust that controls the Buccaneers, plus team general manager Rich McKay, met with Shaw yesterday in Los Angeles."We compared notes, that kind of thing. . . We caught up with each other on where we were with St. Louis," Shaw said. "Nobody should read too much into this."

Rejecting last-minute sweeteners from two Baltimore-based groups, including a $211 million bid from Peter Angelos, trustees for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night agreed to sell the team to Malcolm Glazer, who says he wants to keep it in Tampa "forever."The sale, and a scheduled announcement today that the Los Angeles Rams will move to St. Louis instead of Baltimore, dealt a harsh blow to Baltimore's 11-year quest to return to the National Football League. But both Baltimore-based investment groups vowed to continue seeking a team.

Baltimore's National Football League hopes, which seemed to be fading in recent weeks, received new life yesterday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up for sale and Peter Angelos said he would take up the chase.Officials running the team for the heirs of deceased owner Hugh Culverhouse said they would prefer to sell to someone who would keep the team in Tampa, Fla., but did not make that a condition of sale.Angelos, majority owner of the Orioles, who is trying to bring an NFL team to Baltimore, said he would renew his offer for the Bucs.

Amid signs that the final glitches in his bid for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been cleared up, Malcolm Glazer said last night he "is all smiles" about his prospects for buying the team today.Glazer met yesterday with attorneys, who spoke by telephone with trustees selling the franchise for the estate of late owner Hugh Culverhouse."We had a good meeting today, and we're having a meeting tomorrow. We're looking forward to making an announcement tomorrow," Glazer, a Palm Beach, Fla.-based financier, said yesterday.

When the Cincinnati Bengals signed quarterback Jay Schroeder a year ago, Ron Lynn had heard all the stories about the quarterback's stormy past.That's why Lynn, who was the Bengals' defensive coordinator and now holds the same job for the Washington Redskins, was surprised to find Schroeder such a mature player who was more than willing to tutor young David Klingler."

As Peter Angelos' talks to buy and move the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Baltimore continue, one of three trustees brokering the team has hinted the group may choose to keep the franchise another year.Steve Story, one of the three trustees appointed by late owner Hugh Culverhouse to operate the team, said it is not the trustees' intent to keep the team any longer but it is a "real possibility.""We tried to make that clear at the beginning to take away some of the fear. That's a real possibility, and the further it goes, the more likely it is," Story said before Saturday's season-ending game in Florida, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Amid signs that the final glitches in his bid for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been cleared up, Malcolm Glazer said last night he "is all smiles" about his prospects for buying the team today.Glazer met yesterday with attorneys, who spoke by telephone with trustees selling the franchise for the estate of late owner Hugh Culverhouse."We had a good meeting today, and we're having a meeting tomorrow. We're looking forward to making an announcement tomorrow," Glazer, a Palm Beach, Fla.-based financier, said yesterday.

Rejecting last-minute sweeteners from two Baltimore-based groups, including a $211 million bid from Peter Angelos, trustees for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night agreed to sell the team to Malcolm Glazer, who says he wants to keep it in Tampa "forever."The sale, and a scheduled announcement today that the Los Angeles Rams will move to St. Louis instead of Baltimore, dealt a harsh blow to Baltimore's 11-year quest to return to the National Football League. But both Baltimore-based investment groups vowed to continue seeking a team.

Baltimore's National Football League hopes, which seemed to be fading in recent weeks, received new life yesterday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up for sale and Peter Angelos said he would take up the chase.Officials running the team for the heirs of deceased owner Hugh Culverhouse said they would prefer to sell to someone who would keep the team in Tampa, Fla., but did not make that a condition of sale.Mr. Angelos, majority owner of the Orioles, who is trying to bring an NFL team to Baltimore, said he would renew his offer for the Bucs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday rejected an offer from an investment group interested in keeping the NFL team in town, and said they would choose "in the very near future" from among a handful of other offers -- including one from Peter Angelos.Mr. Angelos, majority partner of the Orioles, heads a group of local investors who have offered $205 million for the team if it can be moved to Baltimore. If the team cannot be moved, the group agreed to pay $170 million, according to a source familiar with the bid.The $205 million offer, which would be a record price for a sports franchise, is among several the team said it received that were better than a bid submitted by a group headed by Tampa, Fla., developer Tommy Shannon.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday rejected an offer from an investment group interested in keeping the NFL team in town, and said they would choose "in the very near future" from among a handful of other offers -- including one from Peter Angelos.Mr. Angelos, majority partner of the Orioles, heads a group of local investors who have offered $205 million for the team if it can be moved to Baltimore. If the team cannot be moved, the group agreed to pay $170 million, according to a source familiar with the bid.The $205 million offer, which would be a record price for a sports franchise, is among several the team said it received that were better than a bid submitted by a group headed by Tampa, Fla., developer Tommy Shannon.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday rejected an offer from an investment group interested in keeping the NFL team in town, and said they would choose "in the very near future" from among a handful of other offers -- including one from Peter Angelos.Angelos, majority partner of the Orioles, heads a group of local investors who have offered $205 million for the team if it can be moved to Baltimore. If the team cannot be moved, the group agreed to pay $170 million, according to a source familiar with the bid.The $205 million offer, which would be a record price for a sports franchise, is among several the team said it received that were better than a bid submitted by a group headed by Tampa, Fla., developer Tommy Shannon.

As Peter Angelos' talks to buy and move the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Baltimore continue, one of three trustees brokering the team has hinted the group may choose to keep the franchise another year.Steve Story, one of the three trustees appointed by late owner Hugh Culverhouse to operate the team, said it is not the trustees' intent to keep the team any longer but it is a "real possibility.""We tried to make that clear at the beginning to take away some of the fear. That's a real possibility, and the further it goes, the more likely it is," Story said before Saturday's season-ending game in Florida, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

When the Cincinnati Bengals signed quarterback Jay Schroeder a year ago, Ron Lynn had heard all the stories about the quarterback's stormy past.That's why Lynn, who was the Bengals' defensive coordinator and now holds the same job for the Washington Redskins, was surprised to find Schroeder such a mature player who was more than willing to tutor young David Klingler."

TAMPA, Fla. -- Baltimore is one of five cities that has completed the first round of negotiations to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to a member of the team's board of trustees.Jack Donlan, one of the three members on the board charged by the late Hugh Culverhouse with selling the team, told the Tampa Tribune that Tampa, Toronto, St. Louis, Orlando, Fla., and Baltimore are the five cities.St. Louis is the front-runner in the bidding for the Los Angeles Rams, but has expressed an interest in the Bucs in case the Rams deal falls apart.

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are serious enough about moving their team to St. Louis that they consulted an expert on that city's prospects for pro football -- Los Angeles Rams president John Shaw.Two members of the trust that controls the Buccaneers, plus team general manager Rich McKay, met with Shaw yesterday in Los Angeles."We compared notes, that kind of thing. . . We caught up with each other on where we were with St. Louis," Shaw said. "Nobody should read too much into this."

TAMPA, Fla. -- Baltimore is one of five cities that has completed the first round of negotiations to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to a member of the team's board of trustees.Jack Donlan, one of the three members on the board charged by the late Hugh Culverhouse with selling the team, told the Tampa Tribune that Tampa, Toronto, St. Louis, Orlando, Fla., and Baltimore are the five cities.St. Louis is the front-runner in the bidding for the Los Angeles Rams, but has expressed an interest in the Bucs in case the Rams deal falls apart.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday rejected an offer from an investment group interested in keeping the NFL team in town, and said they would choose "in the very near future" from among a handful of other offers -- including one from Peter Angelos.Angelos, majority partner of the Orioles, heads a group of local investors who have offered $205 million for the team if it can be moved to Baltimore. If the team cannot be moved, the group agreed to pay $170 million, according to a source familiar with the bid.The $205 million offer, which would be a record price for a sports franchise, is among several the team said it received that were better than a bid submitted by a group headed by Tampa, Fla., developer Tommy Shannon.

Baltimore's National Football League hopes, which seemed to be fading in recent weeks, received new life yesterday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up for sale and Peter Angelos said he would take up the chase.Officials running the team for the heirs of deceased owner Hugh Culverhouse said they would prefer to sell to someone who would keep the team in Tampa, Fla., but did not make that a condition of sale.Angelos, majority owner of the Orioles, who is trying to bring an NFL team to Baltimore, said he would renew his offer for the Bucs.

Baltimore's National Football League hopes, which seemed to be fading in recent weeks, received new life yesterday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up for sale and Peter Angelos said he would take up the chase.Officials running the team for the heirs of deceased owner Hugh Culverhouse said they would prefer to sell to someone who would keep the team in Tampa, Fla., but did not make that a condition of sale.Mr. Angelos, majority owner of the Orioles, who is trying to bring an NFL team to Baltimore, said he would renew his offer for the Bucs.